Shelby City Council passed legislation in December to reduce the credit allowed for income tax paid to other municipalities, and residents are still speaking out against it. The legislation was part of measures to increase revenue to the city’s shrinking General Fund.
Three Shelby citizens spoke during the public comment portion of Monday’s council meeting, vocalizing their displeasure with Ordinance 22-2014. The ordinance was passed by Shelby council at their Dec. 15 meeting, and states Shelby residents who work outside the city will now receive a 67 percent tax credit on the base 1 percent income tax that was first established in 1972.
The 67 percent tax credit is a reduction of the previous 100 percent credit, and will be in place for the year 2015 and forward.
“I’m against taxing people who work out of town, I think it’s unfair,” said Shelby resident David Shade. “Those people are working out of town because they have families to feed and bills to pay, and you have to go where the work is.”
Shelby resident Chris Colyer shared with council the results of the petition he has been circulating through the community the past few weeks. Ordinance 22-2014 directly affects Colyer, who stated that he lives in the city of Shelby but works outside city limits.
According to Wakeman Police Chief Tim Hunker, Colyer is currently a member of the Wakeman Police Reserve Program for the village of Wakeman, Ohio, approximately 36 miles northeast of Shelby in Huron County.
Colyer stated that he collected 131 signatures on his petition, with the goal to collect enough signatures to send the issue to the voters. The charter of the city of Shelby requires a referendum petition be filed within 30 days of the legislation that is the subject of the referendum; the deadline for Colyer’s petition would have been Jan. 14.
“Unfortunately I’ve fallen short, but I haven’t given up,” said Colyer on Monday evening. “That being said I know [the ordinance] can be changed and amended.”
Another Shelby resident directly affected by Ordinance 22-2014 is Tera Ernsberger, who also spoke out against the ordinance on Monday evening. Ernsberger stated she worked for the local hospital at one time but her job was eliminated; she now works as a nurse at Avita Health System in Bucyrus.
“I’ve worked since I was 15 and only one time have I lived in the same city I work in,” said Ernsberger. “I’ve paid this town a lot of money of my tax dollars. I just think you guys need to rethink this really hard and find out where else you could cut your funds to make up this difference other than taxing people that are just trying to raise a family.
“More houses will go on the market if this passes because there’s nothing here to keep anybody here. Nothing,” she added. “You got a new school? So what? So does every other town.”
Shelby City Council also passed legislation on Monday evening to set the salaries of elected officials – an issue Colyer also addressed.
“If you’re going to go ahead and tax me, why should we give public officials a raise?” he asked.
As part of the wages set by council, the wages of all elected officials will be frozen for the next two years. (Check back to Richland Source for more details on this story.)
“I just think you guys need to rethink this really hard and find out where else you could cut your funds to make up this difference other than taxing people that are just trying to raise a family,” stated Tera Ernsberger.
